Kim Hyun-tae, the former commander of the Army's 707th Special Mission Battalion, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison for leading an incursion into the National Assembly during the December 3 martial law, has requested bail from the appellate court.
According to legal sources on October 8, Kim's legal team submitted a bail request to the Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 12-2 on October 2.
The court will hold a bail hearing on October 12 at 3:15 PM. The date for the main appeal hearing has not yet been set.
Bail is a system that allows a court to release a detained defendant under conditions such as posting a bond or restricting residence. If granted, Kim would be able to attend his appeal hearings while not in custody.
Kim was indicted for leading troops to the National Assembly to command the blockade and entry of the building following the declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024.
On August 27, the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 37-2 sentenced Kim to 12 years in prison. He was detained in court due to concerns about flight risk and evidence tampering after appealing the same day.
The first trial found that Kim directly commanded the blockade and entry of troops at the National Assembly, including breaking windows to allow troops to enter. His actions to attempt to enter the main assembly hall and cut off electricity were also cited as grounds for conviction.
The court determined that Kim ordered the blockade and access prevention while being aware of the intent to prevent the passage of a resolution demanding the lifting of martial law and to remove lawmakers. It concluded that he could not evade responsibility simply by following an order he knew was clearly illegal.
Co-defendants Lee Sang-hyun, former commander of the 1st Airborne Special Forces Brigade, and Kim Dae-woo, former head of the Military Intelligence Command's investigation unit, received sentences of 10 years and 5 years, respectively, and were also detained in court. Kim Bong-kyu, former head of the Central Newspaper Group, and Jeong Seong-wook, former head of the 2nd Business Division of the 100th Brigade, were sentenced to 7 years each for their involvement in plans to occupy the National Election Commission and detain staff.
Park Heon-soo, former head of the Defense Ministry's Investigation Headquarters, and Ko Dong-hee, former head of the Intelligence Command's Planning Division, were acquitted on the grounds that intent to commit insurrection was not established.
Both the defendants and the special prosecutor's team for insurrection (led by Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-seok) have appealed the first trial's verdict, and the case has moved to the Seoul High Court.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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